International
López Obrador says that “there is no problem” with Milei’s visit but he will not meet with him
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ruled out on Tuesday that he will meet with the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, who will travel to the country on August 24 to participate in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), although he said that “there is no problem” with his visit.
“No, no (I’m going to meet with him), but there’s no problem, he can come. When he has moved to the United States, he requests permission to use airspace, anyone has never been denied,” the president emphasized during his morning press conference.
López Obrador thus referred to the announcement made on Monday by the organizers of the CPAC, the largest and most influential forum of right-wing movements in the world, that one of the main speakers confirmed at the forum in Mexico City will be Milei.
The president assured that this type of meeting is “something normal” in Mexico, since it is a country of freedoms.
“Anyone can come, president, opposition leader, representative of the right-wing blocs in the world and this is a free country, there is no censorship, there is no persecution, there are full freedoms,” he said.
However, he insisted that he will not meet with the Argentine president.
“Because I do not agree with his way of thinking and his way of being, however, he is free and one thing is the Government of Mexico, and another thing is the people of Mexico, and our people have always been very hospitable, fraternal and respectful,” he said.
The CPAC Mexico, organized by Mexican actor and activist Eduardo Verástegui, reported on Monday in a statement that Milei will attend the meeting to present “a firm message about the urgent need to continue fighting for freedom in Latin America and the world.”
The text anticipated that his speech will be one of “the culminating moments of the event, attracting the attention of conservative leaders and defenders of freedom throughout the region.”
The CPAC, of American origin, is an annual political conference of social actors that raise conservative positions and is considered one of the political arms of the candidate for the presidency of the United States. Donald Trump.
Outside the United States, the CPAC was founded in 2019 in Brazil, where last July Milei closed the event.
In 2022 it began in Mexico, where the most visible leader is the actor, producer and former presidential candidate Eduardo Vérastegui, who has been characterized by his political alliances with Trump and promoting the extreme right and conservative discourse in the country.
The participation will occur in the midst of the distancing of the Argentine from López Obrador, because in April Milei called him “ignorant” in an interview with CNN en Español, to which the Mexican replied: “I still don’t understand how the Argentine people being so intelligent voted for him.”
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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